Shusuke Fuji/History
Two years Prior To The Storyline Two years prior to the start of the series, Fuji along with Tezuka Kunimitsu and Inui Sadaharu stood out amongst the other members of the school. As it stated before in the anime that Seigaku were a Prefectural level school during that time. In an OVA the three of them are seen defeating their senpais with relative ease, and it is mentioned by Kawamura how amazing they were along with Oishi never losing in Doubles and Kikumaru's acrobatic ability. Fuji challenges Tezuka to a match as Tezuka claimed his arm was fine. Fuji annihalates him 6-0 and realizes his arm must still be injured for such a win to happen. Fuji is completely mad at Tezuka and the two promise each other another match eventually. One Year Prior To The Storyline Fuji is stated in the Databook to have been a regular during this time. Current Year Fuji is first introduced in the series along with all of the other Seigaku regulars and is shown easily winning in his Intra-School ranking matches and is seen with the other regulars impressed with Echizen Ryoma as he pulls of huge upset defeats upon his arrival in beating Kaido Kaoru and Inui Sadaharu. Districts During the Tokyo Quarter-finals, Fuji was scheduled to play in the singles 1 slot against Gyokurin. He won the match easily with a 6-0. During the finals against Fudomine's Ishida and Sakurai, Fuji played in the doubles 2 slot along with Kawamura. This is where Fuji revealed his first counter of the Triple Counters, Tsubame Gaeshi (The Swallow Return). On the brink of victory, Fuji nonetheless decided to forfeit the match after seeing Kawamura's wrist broken from returning Ishida's fearsome Hadoukyu. Tokyo Prefecturals During the Quarter-finals, Fuji was pitted against the school of his younger brother, St. Rudolph. He played in the singles 2 slot against St. Rudolph manager Mizuki Hajime. At first, Fuji looks like Mizuki has found all his weaknesses and loses 5 games in a row, only to reveal that he was toying with him. Fuji destroys Mizuki and sweeps the remaining games without the loss of a point, and wins 7-5. Seigaku advances to the finals with the forfeit of their semi-finals opponents. In the finals, Seigaku played against Yamabuki Middle School. Fuji played in the doubles 2 slot with Kawamura against Nitobe and Kita. They lost (5-7 in the anime, 3-6 in the manga). Regionals In the first round of the Regionals, Seigaku played against Hyotei Academy. Fuji played in the singles 2 slot against the person who defeated his younger brother in a mere 15 minutes, Akutagawa Jirō. He easily won the match after not allowing Jiro to reach the net, 6-1. It is in this game that he reveals his Disappearing Serve and his third counter, Hakugei. In the Quarter-finals, Seigaku played against Midoriyama (Josei Shonan in the anime). He was in the Singles 1 spot, but did not have the opportunity to play since Seigaku won three of the matches already. The semi-finals were against Rokkaku Middle School, the top school from Chiba and a long-time regional tennis powerhouse. Their two schools were also long-time rivals and partners for practice matches. Fuji played in the doubles 1 slot along with his close friend Eiji. They played against Fuji's childhood friend, Saeki Kojirō, and his partner Itsuki. They are initially at a disadvantage, with Eiji's movements being tracked by Saeki, and with Fuji initially stopped from hitting Tsubame Gaeshi by Itsuki's returns being devoid of any spin. But Fuji and Eiji eventually win (6-3 in the manga, 6-2 in the anime) after Fuji realised how to make a near perfect Tsubame Gaeshi by using his own racket to add more spin to the ball. He and Eiji later trick Saeki to hit towards Fuji for him to return with a Tsubame Gaeshi. During the finals agaist Rikkaidai, Fuji played in the singles 2 slot against their second year ace, Kirihara Akaya. Fuji was injured multiple times but he did not care about his own well-being but for others. After learning that Kirihara was behind Ryoma's knee injury, he was angry enough that he began to play seriously. He used all his triple counters against Akaya; however, that was not enought to win. When the score was 3-0 in Fuji's favor, Kirihara smashes a ball at Fuji's head, which leaves him temporarily blind. Despite being blind, his senses were sharpened and he was eventually able to return the balls by feeling their presence. He won the match with a score 7-5 when Kirihara while in Muga no Kyōchi lost his grip on the racquet from hitting Sanada's Ka. Regional Select Invitationals Camp In this anime-only arc, Fuji along with his Seigaku teammates recieve an invite to the Kanto Region Japan Junior Training Camp. Regional Select Invitationals Fuji is chosen as a representative for the Kanto Region Japan Junior Team. He is selected to play as Singles Two against Arnold Ignashov, who was known as 'tennis machine'. This resulting a battle of the genius vs the tennis machine. Though Arnold's coach talked to him in an attempt to make him feel sorry for Arnold and ensure that this one would win, Fuji won the match for he realized that the only reason a loss would result in Arnold returning to his hellish previous life was his coach. Prior to Nationals A few days after returning from the joint training camp with Rokkaku, Fuji plays a practice match against Fudomine's Tachibana Kippei, a national-level player who breaks each of Fuji's Triple Counters. Realizing that his counters are not enough for a national-level tournament, Fuji develops his fourth counter, Kagerō Zutsumi (Dragonfly Illusion). Nationals 12.Higuma Otoshi.jpg|Fuji using Higuma Otoshi. 11.Fuji shot.jpg 18.Fuji Smash.jpg 21.Hirakoba Smash.jpg 29.Opponents.jpg|Fuji/Kawamura after defeating Hirakoba/Chinen pair. Fuji in action2.jpg Seigaku regulars watching.jpg fuji39.jpeg|Fuji on the brink against Shiraishi Fuji and the rest of the Seigaku team arrive at the Nationals and witness the straight set demolition of Rokkaku by Higa Chuu, who are set to be their first opponents of the tournament. Higa display a violent manner of tennis while playing against Rokkaku which Seigaku greatly disapproves of. The 2nd Round begins with Seigaku taking on Higa Chuu and after Echizen Ryoma wins Singles 3 against Tanishi Kei , giving Seigaku the lead, Fuji plays in Doubles 2 with Kawamura against the Chinen Hiroshi and Hirakoba Rin pair. At first, Fuji and Kawamura are in trouble as for the first time, Fuji's triple counters are completely sealed by Hirakoba Rin who uses Shukuchiho to great effect. In addition to this, Hirakoba's technique Habu, which involves a wild spin on the ball after bouncing makes Hadoukyuu nearly impossible to use. The match drags on to Higa Chuu taking a 5-3 lead. At triple-match point for Higa, Hirakoba decides to show off Ohabu, an even better form of Habu. It is here that Fuji reveals his Fourth Counter. Both Chinen and Hirakoba were helpless against the shot. And due to Hirakoba's overuse of Habu, the next Habu serve had far less spin on it, and Kawamura was able to return it using his now unsealed Hadoukyuu. Thanks to Fuji's Fourth Counter and the newly revitalized Hadoukyuu, Fuji and Kawamura eventually win 7-5. Fuji is rested during the match against Hyotei in the Quarterfinals. It is the first time that he was placed as a reserve player. In the Semifinals, Fuji plays in Singles 3 against Shiraishi Kuranosuke of Shitenhouji. At first he is shockingly overwhelmed by Shiraishi's "Perfect Tennis" or "Bible Tennis", which breaks all his counters and quickly falls behind 5-0, unable to get even a point. Seemingly at the brink, Fuji finally awakens his dormant potential, and reveals not only an evolved form of all three Triple-Counters, but additionally revealing his Fifth Counter, Hecatoncheires no Monban, and catches up. Ultimately though, he loses 6-7 in a heartbreaking fashion due to a last lob (which left Shiraishi helpless) ended up being a few centimeters out. In the Finals of the Nationals, Seigaku were on course for a complete disaster after losing a tense Singles 3 and Doubles 2 to Rikkai Daigaku Fuzoku. With everything on resting on the shoulders of Fuji for Singles 2 against Niou Masaharu, Fuji jumps into an early lead, but the Trickster of the Courts shockingly takes the shape of Tezuka and later Shiraishi. The fate of Seigaku rests on Fuji's ability to defeat his two strongest adversaries. It is in this game that Fuji unveils his Sixth Counter. U-17 Camp The Fuji brothers easily getting balls.jpg|The Fuji brothers easily obtain balls. Fuji watches on at the camp.png|Fuji at the start of the Team Shuffle. Fuji requesting a match against Tezuka.png|Fuji requesting a serious match against Tezuka. A stressed Fuji takes a swing.png|Fuji against Tezuka before the latter leaves to Germany. A powerless Fuji up against Tezuka.png|Fuji in action against Tezuka. Fuji in tears after being wiped by Tezuka.png|An emotional Fuji after what is likely his last match with close friend Tezuka. Fuji along with the rest of the Seigaku regulars and several other middle schoolers recieve invitations to the All-Japan Junior Training Camp, which, for the first time ever, allowed Middle Schoolers to compete for Representative places along with High Schoolers. Fuji like all the 50 middle schoolers, was able to obtain a ball that fell from the helicopter where the conditions were those without a ball must go home. Afterwards, the Mental Coach arrives and asks individuals to pair up. Believing this to be for doubles games, Fuji pairs up with his younger brother Yuuta. The Mental Coach coldly requests all pairs to play short tie-break games. The loser of the tie-break games must go home. Fuji effortlessly beats his younger brother, however Yuuta is pleased his older brother played seriously. Later on, Yuuta is taken to the mountains to train while Shusuke defeats his next High School opponent(s) to become a member of the 6th Court. and Shiraishi in the U-17 Camp Dorm.]] In the anime, during Ryoma, Kenya, and Kei's special mission for Coach Nyudō, Fuji wakes up after Kei causes the alarm system to sound after running through the lasers. He and Shiraishi are confused as to why the alarm was sounding, but they never find out that it was because of their fellow middle schoolers. Team Shuffle Fuji looks on as part of the large audience of the Team Shuffle between 5th Court and 3rd Court where the 5th Court became victors and swapped places with the latter. Afterwards, he and Tezuka have their promised match after Tezuka unlocks Muga no Kyouchi: Tenimuhou no Kiwami. In the opening rally of the match, Fuji is desperately struggling against Tezuka's new prowess, who eventually stops the match, declaring that he does not want to play Fuji right now, and leaves the camp. Emotional over the interrupted match and Tezuka's departure, Fuji continues rallying as if Tezuka was still present on the court continuing the match. Working through his developed feelings regarding tennis's meaning to himself and looking up to Tezuka as his guidepost, Fuji recognizes Tezuka's decision to stop their match as encouragement for Fuji to become his own guidepost in tennis. Finishing the match and tearfully declaring himself the winner, Fuji thanks Tezuka and promises to himself that to go higher. Fuji returns back to the Team Shuffle with Kikumaru Eiji who witnessed the match between his teammates while Tezuka goes off to Germany. The middle schoolers then get involved in a massive pillow fight. U-17 Camp Revolution Fuji is then present at the camp for the return of the Top 10 and the shocked to hear news that No.s 11-19 have all been replaced by Middle Schoolers (Yukimura + members of the "Revolutionary Brigade"). Genius 10 Challenge After the battle for the No.1 nation ended with Byoudouin Houou defeating Tokugawa Kazuya followed by Echizen Ryoma's expulsion from the camp for interfering with the match, the head coach who is revealed to be Mifune announces that there will be a World Cup U-14 division and Fuji is amongst the list of Middle Schoolers announced on the team of 14 players to represent Japan. Prior to the U-17 World Cup The selected high schoolers and middle schoolers take a trip to the beach with the head coach. He tasks the tennis players to pick up some girls. If they fail, they will sample Mitsuya's deadly riceballs. Fuji immediately attempts the riceballs. He says its delicious but passes out, showing Mitsuya's riceballs are worse than Inui's Juice. Pre-World Cup After the Japanese team arrives in Australia, in preparation for the U-17 World Cup, the high schoolers and middle schoolers must decide 3 high school/middle school doubles pairs. After 3 middle schoolers (Atobe, Akutsu, and Kite) rejecting the offer of partnering up with their high school opponents (Irie, Omagari, and Tohno), Duke and Fuji step out as the first doubles pair of the "pre-World Cup" against their opponent, Germany. For the second point. Bismarck uses his special move, "Spinless Sway Ball", to prevent Duke from hitting with the Super Sweet Spot, effectively sealing Duke Homerun. He then moves in to finish the point with a smash, but the ball is returned by Fuji's new move, "Hollyhock Blizzard." Fuji says that he no longer plays just defensive tennis. The audience is excited by Fuji's move. In the current match, the score is 4-4. Siegfried is back in the game to seal off Hollyhock Blizzard. He hits the balls to Duke instead of Fuji, but in such a way that the ball is too close to the net for Duke to hit the Homerun - if he did the shot would definitely go out. In response Duke unveils a new move, "Duke Bunt", which is a drop shot. In the end, Fuji uses Hakuryuu to win the match for Japan. Tezuka says that he will be waiting for the real Fuji in the finals. Category:Character Subpages